Tape pulling pliers



24, 1961 R. J. GRIMSHAW ETAL 3,005,366

TAPE PULLING PLIERS Filed April 22, 1960 ATTORNEYS 3,005,366 TAPE PULLENG PLIERS Robert J. Grirnshaw, 4921 Bethel (Ihurch Road, Columhis, S.C., and Claude A. Derrick, Ballentiue, S.C. Filed Apr. 22, 1960, er. No. 23,979 4- Claims. (El. 81-51) This invention relates to an improved hand tool for frictionally gripping an elongated element to facilitate the pushing or pulling of the elongated element through a constricted area. More particularly, the present invention relates to pliers having locking means for retaining flexible tape of the type commonly referred to as fish tape and used inserting a package of' electrical conductors attached thereto in a conduit, the locking means being of improved character to frictionally bind a section of the tape in the pliers in order that the tape may be pushed or pulled to move it into and draw it out of the conduit by moving the pliers in the appropriate directions for installing electrical conductors attached to the tape in the length of the conduit.

An elongated flexible fish tape is conventionally employed as a guide line in a constricted area, such as a conduit, order to install a relatively rigid, bulky package of electrical conductors in the conduit by attaching the package of electrical conductors to one end of the tape which has been pushed through the length of thc conduit and thereafter pulling the tape out of the conduit to draw the electrical conductorsinto the conduit in installed position.

in most cases, the frictional resistance'encountered in pushing the tape through the conduit and in pullingthe tape from the conduit to draw the electrical conductors into installed position is sufiiciently large to prevent a person from accomplishing the installation of the elec trical conductors by merely pushing and pulling'the tape with his hands alone. Customar-ily, therefore, a person will employ pliers of conventional form to frictionally grip sections of the tape in pushing or pulling the tape. While this practice is considerably more satisfactory than attempting to manage thetape solely with ones' hands, conventional pliers often allow the tape to slip with respect thereto, causing difficulty and undue delay in carrying out the installation of the electrical conduc tors in the conduit. Where the frictional resistance encountered by the tape is unusually great, such as when the conduit has one or more angular bends formed therein, the slipping of the tape with respect to the pliers is. likely to be a frequent occurrence.

Moreover, the strains placed on conventionalpliers' by using the clamping jaws of the pliers to grasp flexible tape for the above described purpose over a period of time causes the jaws to become worn and ill-mated or out of symmetry with each other. The wearing of' the opposed clamping surfaces on the jaws by-repe'ated clamping of flexible tape therebctween increases the frequency ofslippage of the tape with respect to the'jaws and eventually renders the pliers useless.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hand tool; of improved construction to serve as pliers of general utility and having a locking means incorporated therein" for frictionally binding an elongated element, such as a flexible fish tape, to the pliers and facilitating'the pushing: and pulling or" the tape through constricted areas while reducing the rate of wear on the clamping surfaces of the jaw members for the tool.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved hand tool or pliers having a head with opposed relatively pivotable jaw members for movement into and outof engagement with each other, and tape receiving meansin the head operable in response to relative movement of the jaws closer together to crimp a section of rates Patent ice 2 the tape for frictionally gripping the tape, thereby facilitating pushing and pulling of the tape through narrow constricted areas.

It is another more specific object of this invention to provide in a hand tool, such as pliers, having first and second complementary members pivotally connected together by a pin extending through portions thereof forming the head or" the pliers, improved means for locking a flexible tape against slippage, wherein the locking means comprises a passageway extending through the head and connector pin of the pliers for reception of a section of the tape protruding between the jaws of the pliers, the passageway being straight when the jaws assume a predetermined spaced apart relationship, whereby relative movement of the jaws toward each other causes a portion of the passageway to be offset for crimping the section of tape received therein to frictionally bind the tape in the pliers. in this way, the strain placed upon the pliers by gripping the tape and pushing or pulling it is substantially absorbed by the head of the pliers, rather than the clamping jaws thereof to protect the clamping surfaces of the jaws agalnst'undue wear.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when ta ten in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is atop plan view of the improved hand.

tool in accordance with the present invention and showing the opposed jaw members of the hand tool in a predetermined spaced apart relationship;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan View of the hand tool, similar to FIGURE 1, but showing the opposed jaw members in engagement;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectionm view taken along the line 3-3 in FEGURE 1;

riGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view ofthe hand tool with a length or" flexible tape frictional-- ly gripped thereby; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded iso-' metric view of the portion of the hand tool illustrated in FIGURE 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, it will be observed that the present invention is embodied in a hand ally offset with respect to the handle arm 11. A jaw member 13 extends from the head portion 12 at a point diametrically opposite from the handle arm 13, it being noted that the jaw member 13 has a thickness substan tially equal to that of the handle arm il. in like mannor, the second complementary member B includes a lover or handle arm 14, a generally circular head portion 15 of reduced thickness and laterally oifset from the handle arm lid at one end thereof, and a jaw member 16 extending from the head portion 15 at a point diamctri-- cally opposite from the handle arm 14, the jaw member 16 having a thickness substantially equal to that of the handle arm '14.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, it will be seen that the thickness of the respective head portions 12 and 15 is substantially one-half that of the handle arms 11, 14

and jaw members 1.3, 16 associated therewith. The head:

portion 12, hereinafter-termed the upper head portion, is mounted in superimposed slidable engagement with the head portion 15, hereinafter termed the lower head portion, to dispose the handle arms 11, 14 and the jaw members 13; 16 in opposed relationship. Together, the handle arms 11 and 14 comprise a handle for the hand tool is,

and the upper and lower head portions 12 and 15 comprise a head from which protrudes opposed jaw members 13, 16 for clamping an element therebetween. Means are provided to pivotally connect the first and second complementary members A. and B, such means being in the form of a pin 17 extending through the upper and lower head portions 12, 15 which permits relative rotational movement between the upper and lower head portions 12, 15. in this respect, the respective head portions 12, 15 include juxtaposed arcuate peripheral surfaces 21 and 21, respectively, to slidably receive complementary arcuate shoulders formed by the junctures between the handle arms 11, 1.4 and their corresponding head portions 12, 15. The arcuate shoulder at the juncture of handle arm 14 and head portion 15 is designated by reference numeral 22 in FIGURE 5, while a like arcuate shoulder at the juncture of handle arm 11 and head portion 12 is hidden from view in the drawings. The arcuate surface 2%} of the upper head portion 12 slidably receives shoulder 22, while arcuate surface 21 of the lower head portion 15 slidably receives the shoulder at the juncture of handle arm 11 and the upper head portion 12.

The pin 17 includes a cylindrical shank 23 and a shank section 2 3 rovides with a substantially square transverse cross section at the lower end of the cylindrical shank 23. As shown in FIGURE 3, the shank section 24 of the pin 17 is received Within a suitable complementary bore having a square transverse cross section and extending through the center of the lower head portion 15. The complementary shapes of the shank section 24 and the bore in which it is received constitute means preventing relative rotation between the pin 17 and the lower head portion 15 which carries the pin 17, as shown in FIGURE 5. Means other than the complementary non-circular cross sectional shapes of the shank section 24 and the bore in which it is received may be relied upon to prevent relative rotation between the pin 17 and the lower head portion 15 within the spirit of this invention. Preferably, the shank section 24 is pressed into the bore of the lower head portion 15 to assume a press fit relationship therewith for fixedly securing the pin 17 to the lower head portion 15. The upper head portion 12 includes a central cylindrical bore and an enlarged cylindrical counter bore opening onto the upper surface of the head portion 12 for slidable reception of the cylindrical shank 23 and the enlarged head 25 of the pin 17, respectively. It will be understood that the complementary member A comprising the handle arm 11, upper head portion 12, and jaw member 13 may be pivoted about the pin 17 with respect to the complementary member B comprising the handle arm 14, the lower head portion 15, and the jaw member 16.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that relative pivotal movement between the first and second complementary members A and B of the hand tool through the relative rotation of the upper head portion 12 about the pin 17 with respect to the lower head portion causes movement of the jaw members 13, 16 into and out of engagement with each other, FIGURE 1 showing a predetermined spaced apart position assumed by the jaw members 13, 16 and FIGURE 2 showing the position assumed by the jaw members 13, 16 when in engagement. In using the hand tool 10, an elongated element, such as a length of flexible fish tape T, is adapted to be received between the jaw members 13, 16 and held in clamped relationship therebetween, as indicated in FIGURE 4.

Each of the jaw members 13, 16 includes a serrated clamping surface 26 and a cutting blade 27 adjacent thereto, the serrated clamping surfaces 26, 26 on the jaw members being pressed tightly against the opposite sides of the tape T or other elongated element to increase the gripping efiect of the jaw members 13, 16 thereon. The blades 27, 27 may be used for severing lengths of tape T, wire, or the like upon movement of the jaw members 13,

16 toward each other to bring the blades 27, 27 into engagement. Even though the jaw members 13, 16 are provided with serrated clamping surfaces 26, 26 to increase the gripping effect of the jaw members 13, 16 on the tape T clamped therebetween, the frictional resistance encountered in pushing or pulling the tape T with the hand tool 10 is often of such magnitude that slippage of the tape T between the jaw members 13, 16 occurs. Continned used of the hand tool 10 is likely to result in the serrated clamping surfaces 26, 26 of the jaw members 13, 16 becoming worn and smooth or ill-mated to enhance the possibility of more frequent slipping of the tape T with respect to the jaw members 13, 16 even under routine opposing frictional forces.

The present invention concerns itself with an improved means to lock the tape T in frictionally gripped position in the hand tool 10, wherein the locking means is operable in response to the relative movement of the jaw members 13, 16 closer together. The tape locking means comprises a passageway 30 extending through the head of the hand tool 10 and assuming a straight configuration opening to the space between the opposed jaw members 13, 16 when the jaw members are in a predetermined spaced apart relationship, as shown in FIGURE 1. The passageway 30 comprises forward and rear, oppositely disposed, outwardly opening notches or grooves 31 formed in the upper head portion 12 at diametrically spaced locations thereon and an outwardly opening slot 32 in the pin 17, the slot 32 bridging the gap between the oppositely disposed grooves 31 and connecting the grooves 31 to form the passageway 30. The passageway 30 whether it is formed by the grooves 31, 31 and the intermediate slot 32 or by other means preferably extends completely across the upper head portion 12 from the front to the rear thereof, opening at its opposite ends toward the jaw members 13, 16 and between the handle arms 11, 14, respectively, for a purpose hereinafter described. The slot 32 in the pin 17 registers with the oppositely disposed grooves 31, 31 in alinement therewith to permit the passageway 30 to assume its straight configuration in alinement with the predetermined space between the opposed jaw members 13, 16.

In operating the improved hand tool 10 for facilitating the pushing and pulling of an elongated element, such as flexible fish tape" T, the tape T is fed between the opposed jaw members 13, 16 and is threaded through the passageway 30 defined by the oppositely disposed grooves 31, 31 and the intermediate connecting slot 32 in the pin 17. Upon grasping the hand tool 10, and pivoting the first complementary member A about the pin 17 with respect to the second complementary member B by moving the handle arms 11, 14 closer together, as indicated in FIGURE 2, the opposed jaw members 13, 16 are moved into clamping engagement with the opposite sides of the tape T, while the oppositely disposed grooves 31, 31 in the upper head portion 12 are displaced with respect to the slot 32 in the pin 17 about which the upper head portion 12 is relatively rotatable. Therefore, the intermediate portion of the passageway 30 provided by the slot 32 in the pin 17 is oifset with respect to the oppositely disposed grooves 31, 31 to effect a crimping action on the tape T extending through the passageway 30, as shown in FIGURE 4. it will be apparent that the tape T is upset or crimped by the relative rotation occurring between the pin 17 and the upper head portion 15, the actual upsetting or crimping of the tape T being caused by the surfaces defining the offset slot 32 in the pin 17 and those surfaces defining the oppositely disposed grooves 31, 31. By crimping the tape T in the manner indicated, the tape T is securely held by the hand tool 10 to eliminate relative slippage between the jaw members 13, 16 and the tape T.

The hand tool 10 may then be used to push and pull the tape T through a narrow constricted area, such as a conduit, for installing a package of electrical conductors therein by moving the hand tool 10 in appropriate, directions. The strain on, the tool created bythe pushing or pulling action on the tape T is substantially absorbed in the area of the head portions 12, rather than the serrated clamping surfaces 26, 26 of the jaw members 13, 16 to reduce the rate of wear on these surfaces. To elease the crimped; tape T from the hand tool 10, it is merely necessary to move. the handle arms 11, 14 further apart from each other, thereby moving the jaw members 13, 1d apart and-restoring the oppositely disposed grooves 31, 31 in the upper head portion 12 to registration within the slot 32 in the pin 17. The tape T may be then withdrawn from the passageway 30, which is once again straight, and removed from the hand tool 10.

It will be understood that the crimping action on the tape T, as eifected by offsetting a portion of the passageway 30 in the manner described, may also take place even though the opposed jaw members 13, 16 are not moved sufiiciently close together to actually clamp the tape T therebetween. It is preferred, however, to utilize the clamping engagement of the jaw members 13, 16 with the tape T along with the crimp lock on the tape T to further enhance the frictional grip of the hand tool it) on the tape T.

While it would be within the spirit of this invention to dispense with the rear groove 31 of the passageway 30, thereby relying only upon the forward groove 31 and the slot 32 to accomplish the crimping action on the tape T, the preferred embodiment includes the rear groove 31 which permits a double reverse crimp to be formed in the tape T. Thus, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, a section of tape T bounded by the two crimps becomes ofiset from the leading and trailing portions of tape to substantially increase the frictional binding of the tape T to the hand tool 10. Moreover, the rear groove 31 permits the longitudinal extent of the hand tool 10 to be maintained in substantially parallel relation to the length of tape T being received by the hand tool 10 at any given time in that the tape T may be fed between the handle arms 11, 14 and received in the passageway 30 by being moved into or out of the rear groove 31.

in pushing a tape, it is especially important to position the hand tool for manipulating the tape closely adjacent the constricted area into which the tape is being inserted to prevent buckling or kinking of the tape portion extending between the hand tool and the constricted area. It will be observed that the present hand tool 1% can be attached at any location along the tape so that the longitudinal extent of the hand tool is substantially parallel to the length of tape attached thereto, this being accomplished by threading the tape through the passageway 30 including the rear groove 31 and between the handle arms 11, 14. When the tape is pushed or pulled by the hand tool 10, the trailing or leading portion thereof, as the case may be, may be accommodated in the space between the handle arms 11, 14 rather than being disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal extent of the hand tool which would be necessary in the absence of the rear groove 31 which allows the passageway 30 to extend completely across the upper head portion 12.

Although the hand tool 10 of this invention has been described in connection with the manipulation of flexible fish tape, it will be understood that other objects, such as wire or the like, may be similarly handled by the tool 10 within the spirit of this invention.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A hand tool for pushing and pulling flexible tape or the like, comprising first and second complementary members, at least a portion of said first member being superimposed over a corresponding portion of said sec- 0nd member, apin extending through said. portions connecting said first and second members for relative pivotal movement, said first member being relatively rotatable with respect to said. .pin, means preventing relative rotation between said second member and said pin, means defining apassageway extending completely across the portion of said. first member which is superimposed over the corresponding portion of said second member, an intermediate portion of said passageway extending across said pin, said passageway being straight when said first and second members assume a predetermined position for receiving a tape therein, and the intermediate portion of said passageway extending across said pin being offset with respect to the remainder of said passageway in response to relative rotation of said first member about said pin for crimping the tape received in said passageway, thereby frictionally binding the tape in the hand tool to facilitate pushing and pulling of the tape.

2. A hand tool for pushing and pulling flexible tape or the like, comprising first and second complementary embers, each of said members comprising a handle and a head having a jaw at one end of said handle, said heads being positioned in overlying relationship and said jaws being disposed in opposed relationship, pin means extending through said heads and connecting said first and second members for relative pivotal movement of one of said members about said pin means with respect to the other member, whereby said jaws are movable into and out of engagement with each other, and means providing a straight passageway through said heads and said pin means when said jaws assume a predetermined spaced apart relationship to receive a tape extending between said spaced apart jaws, said passageway opening to the space between said jaws, and a portion of said passageway being oifset to crimp the tape received therein in response to relative pivotal movement of said one member about said pin means to bring said jaws closer together, thereby frictionally gripping the tape by the hand tool to facilitate pushing and pulling of the tape.

3. A hand tool for pushing and pulling flexible tape or the like, comprising first and second complementary members, each of said members comprising a handle and a head having a jaw at one end of said handle, said heads being positioned in overlying relationship to dispose said jaws in normally spaced apart opposed relationship, a pin extending through said heads and pivota lly connecting said first and second members, one of said heads being relatively rotatable with respect to said pin, means preventing relative rotation between the other of said heads and said pin, whereby said jaws are movable into and out of engagement with each other in response to relative pivotal movement of one of said members about said pin, means defining a passageway associated with said one head, a portion of said passageway extending across said pin, said passageway being straight when said jaws assume a predetermined spaced apart relationship for receiving a tape extending between said jaws, and the portion of said passageway extending across said pin being oifset with respect to the remainder of said passageway in response to relative pivotal movement of said one member about said pin to bring said jaws closer together for crimping the tape, thereby frictionally binding the tape in said passageway of the hand tool to facilitate pushing and pulling of the tape.

4. A hand tool for pushing and pulling flexible tape or the like, comprising a head having upper and lower complementary head portions, pin means connecting said upper and lower head portions together in superimposed relationship, said upper head portion slidably engaging said lower head portion for relative rotation therebetween about said pin means, a corresponding jaw member and handle arm being attached to said upper and lower head portions respectively, one of said head portions having a pair of alined grooves therein in spaced relationship,

7 8 said pin means having a slot therein connecting said pair head portions bringing said jaw members closer together of grooves to define a passageway, said passageway being to crimp the tape received in the passageway thereby straight when said jaw members assume a predetermined frictionally binding the p? in the hand tool to facilitate spaced apart relationship for receiving a tape extending Pushing and Pulling of p 7 between said i i apart w members d pair 5 References Cited in the file of this patent of grooves belng displaced with respect to said slot to offset a portion of said passageway in response to rela- FOREIGN PATENTS tive rotational movement between said upper and lower 214,621 Great Britain Ian. 22 1925 

